Pink's Advice On Breastfeeding In Public Will Leave New Moms Cheering

Without a shadow of a doubt, women have come a long way when it comes to fighting for their fundamental rights. Unfortunately, however, there is still a long way to go. Even in a country like the United States — which, according to Trem Global, is considered the epitome of freedom and by many across the globe — women are still struggling for some of their basic rights, including the right to abortion.

And even when the law allows women to enjoy certain liberties, such as breastfeeding their children in public, society often looks down upon the practice. According to the National Conference Of State Legislatures, all 50 states of the U.S. — including the Virgin Islands, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico — currently allow women to publicly breastfeed their babies. But women who breastfeed in public have reported receiving judgmental looks and comments from people (via CNN).

Recent research conducted by scientists at the University of Swansea in Wales shows that women often feel reluctant to breastfeed their infants outside of their homes because of "disapproval or even disgust from the general public." Under such a scenario, women — especially new mothers — need to be encouraged and supported so that they could breastfeed their babies whenever and wherever they want without having to be answerable to society. And when it comes to encouragement, public figures can create a huge impact. To this end, many celebrities, including pop singer Pink, have come forward to normalize the practice of breastfeeding their babies in public.

As explained by Study Breaks, Pink has been quite vocal about women's issues, including gender roles, beauty standards, and femininity, since the very beginning of her career. According to the website, the singer became a "frontwoman to the feminist movement" by issuing statements and writing lyrics related to women's empowerment.

Taking to her Instagram page in 2016, she posted a picture of herself in which she could be seen breastfeeding her toddler. The photo was uploaded in support of National Breastfeeding Week, which is celebrated every year across the globe from August 1 to August 7, per the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action.

 "In honor of #nationalbreastfeedingweek2016, I proudly post this photo of a very HEALTHY, NATURAL act between mother and child. Taken in Helsinki by a very supportive and proud Papa," the mother-of-two captioned the picture. According to The Sun, while Pink's post served as a source of inspiration for millions of new mothers, it also received backlash from critics, who accused the singer of "oversharing" and "jumping on to the celebrity breastfeeding bandwagon".

Slate reported that the reason breastfeeding in public became taboo is rooted back in the 19th century. Following World War II, pinup girl posters, magazines like Playboy, and Hollywood started sexualizing women's breasts, making them an object of men's pleasure rather than a source of nutrition for babies. Thus, whenever someone was seen breastfeeding in public, people started attaching a "vague sense of disgust to the practice".

For Pink, however, her baby's well-being and health come first and she pays no need to what someone thinks about her. In an interview with "The Alan Carr Chatty Man Show," Pink narrated an incident when she was breastfeeding her daughter Willow in a restaurant and someone passed a snide remark. Per Cafe Mom, the singer, who is married to motorcycle racer Carey Hart, reiterated that since breastfeeding was healthy, natural, and about the baby's comfort, she "can give a sh** what somebody else thinks."

"The first time we went out to a restaurant, there was a guy who walked by, I had a cover on...and this guy walks by and was like 'Uughhh' — he was just disgusted. I was like 'You didn't get enough hugs when you were little.' Carey said, 'You are starting fights in restaurants?' and I said 'I will . . . I will fight, hold my baby,'" according to Cafe Mom.